Patents by Inventor Tsutomu Nanataki

Tsutomu Nanataki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • METHOD FOR PRODUCING SPINEL-TYPE LITHIUM MANGANATE
    Publication number: 20110311437
    Abstract: The production method of the present invention includes (A) a forming step of forming into a sheet-like compact a raw material containing at least a manganese compound and not containing a lithium compound; (B) a first firing step of firing the sheet-like compact formed through the forming step; and (C) a second firing step of firing a mixture of the fired compact obtained through the first firing step and a lithium compound at a temperature lower than the firing temperature employed in the first firing step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu YURA, Nobuyuki KOBAYASHI, Tsutomu NANATAKI, Kazuyuki KAIGAWA, Ryuta SUGIURA
  • METHOD FOR PRODUCING SPINEL-TYPE LITHIUM MANGANATE
    Publication number: 20110311435
    Abstract: The production method of the present invention includes (A) a raw material preparation step of preparing a raw material mixture containing at least a manganese compound; (B) a forming step of forming the raw material mixture prepared through the raw material preparation step into a compact having a longitudinal size L and a maximum size R as measured in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (i.e., in a thickness direction) such that L/R is 3 or more; (C) a firing step of firing the compact obtained through the forming step; and (D) a crushing step of crushing the fired compact obtained through the firing step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu Yura, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Kazuyuki Kaigawa
  • METHOD FOR PRODUCING SPINEL-TYPE LITHIUM MANGANATE
    Publication number: 20110311436
    Abstract: The production method of the present invention includes a raw material preparation step of preparing a raw material mixture; a firing step of firing the raw material mixture prepared through the raw material preparation step; and a crushing step of crushing the fired compact obtained through the firing step, wherein the raw material mixture contains a main raw material containing at least a manganese compound, and a seed crystal having a spinel-type crystal structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Inc.
    Inventors: Yukinobu YURA, Nobuyuki KOBAYASHI, Tsutomu NANATAKI, Kazuyuki KAIGAWA, Kei SATO
  • METHOD FOR PRODUCING CATHODE ACTIVE MATERIAL FOR A LITHIUM SECONDARY BATTERY
    Publication number: 20110309291
    Abstract: The method for producing a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery is characterized by including (1) a forming step of forming a sheet-form compact containing, as raw substances, a lithium compound serving as a first ingredient, a compound of a transition metal other than lithium serving as a second ingredient, and at least one of boron oxide and vanadium oxide serving as a third ingredient; and (2) a firing step of firing the compact at 700 to 1,300° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuta Sugiura, Tsutomu Nanataki, Jun Yoshikawa
  • Method of producing ceramic structure and ceramic structure
    Patent number: 8040025
    Abstract: Striped sheets each having a structure in which two types of first layers and second layers are stacked in the X direction are prepared. More specifically, first raw material sheets having the same composition as the first layers and second raw material sheets having the same composition as the second layers are regularly alternately stacked in the X direction to prepare a uniaxial stack. The uniaxial stack is then cut along the X direction to prepare the striped sheets. A large number of striped sheets and a large number of homogeneous sheets are then collected to form a sheet group. The striped sheets and the homogeneous sheets are alternately stacked in the Y direction different from the X direction to prepare a biaxial stack having two stacking axes in the X direction and the Y direction. The biaxial stack is fired to produce a ceramic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ohmori, Natsumi Shimogawa, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Solid oxide fuel cell
    Patent number: 7968246
    Abstract: A fuel cell has a stack structure in which fired sheet bodies (laminates each including a fuel electrode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and an air electrode layer) and support members for supporting the sheet bodies are stacked in alternating layers. Each of the sheet bodies is warped downward (toward an air-electrode-layer side). Because of a magnitude relationship of thermal expansion coefficient among the layers in the sheet body and that between the support member and the sheet body, a warp height gradually lessens in the course of temperature rise at start-up. However, even when a working temperature (800° C. or the like) is reached, the sheet bodies are still warped downward. By virtue of presence of the warp, the sheet bodies become unlikely to be deformed at the working temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ohmori, Natsumi Shimogawa, Tsutomu Nanataki, Toshiyuki Nakamura
  • POSITIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE ELEMENT AND LITHIUM SECONDARY BATTERY
    Publication number: 20110136011
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material containing a large number of crystal grains which contain, by 70 areal % or more, primary particles of non-octahedral shape, having particle diameters of 5 to 20 ?m, and composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure containing lithium and manganese as the constituent elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu YURA, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Kazuyuki Kaigawa
  • Piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type element and manufacturing method thereof
    Patent number: 7943192
    Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive film type device including a thin substrate made of ceramic and a piezoelectric/electrostrictive operating portion disposed on the substrate and constituted by successively laminating a lower electrode film, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive film containing a large number of crystal particles constituted of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition, and an upper electrode film. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive composition contains one or more alkali metal elements selected from the group consisting of lithium, potassium, and sodium, and one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of niobium, tantalum, antimony, and silver. Circle equivalent diameters of 90% or more of the large number of crystal particles are in a range of 0.3 to 50 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Toshikatsu Kashiwaya, Takaaki Koizumi
  • Ceramic thin plate member
    Patent number: 7927755
    Abstract: A thin plate member is a thin plate member that is formed by sintering, contains a ceramic layer, and comprises a thin part having two or more types of layers laminated, each of which is made of a material having a different thermal expansion coefficient, and a thick part that is made by laminating plural layers including at least all of the layers constituting the thin part, and has a thickness greater than the thickness of the thin part. The thin part has a shape warping in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the thin plate member. By virtue of this configuration, the internal electrical resistance of the thin part can be reduced. Further, the thin plate member can be provided that is difficult to be deformed with respect to the internal stress caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ohmori, Natsumi Shimogawa, Michihiro Asai, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Ceramic thin plate member
    Patent number: 7914877
    Abstract: A thin plate member has a uniform thickness of not less than 5 ?m and not more than 100 ?m, includes at least a ceramic sheet, formed by sintering. The thin plate member has plural convex portions protruding from one plane P of the thin plate member, and plural concave portions caved in from the plane P. Accordingly, the deflection amount obtained when the thin plate member is supported at a predetermined support section of the thin plate member in a direction orthogonal to the plane P is smaller than the deflection amount of a thin plate member that is flat without having convex and concave portions. Therefore, a thin plate member which is difficult to be deformed is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ohmori, Natsumi Shimogawa, Takahiro Maeda, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Method of manufacturing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device
    Patent number: 7901729
    Abstract: There is disclosed a piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition capable of manufacturing, at a comparatively low sintering temperature, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body which is dense and superior in crystallinity and which has satisfactory piezoelectric/electrostrictive characteristics so that deviation of the composition is not easily generated. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition contains as a major component a piezoelectric/electrostrictive porcelain composition component including a PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3—PbZrO3—PbTiO3 ternary solid solution system composition and NiO or including a Pb(Mg, Ni)1/3Nb2/3O3—PbZrO3—PbTiO3 ternary solid solution system composition, and further contains lead germanate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Toshikatsu Kashiwaya, Yuya Kikuta
  • POSITIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE ELEMENT AND LITHIUM SECONDARY BATTERY
    Publication number: 20110003206
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material having a specific surface area of 0.1 to 0.5 m2/g, which contains a large number of crystal grains containing primary particles of 5 to 20 ?m in particle diameter, composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure containing lithium and manganese as the constituent elements, and a bismuth compound containing bismuth, wherein the proportion of the primary particles contained in the large number of crystal grains is 70 areal % or more and the proportion of the bismuth contained in the bismuth compound is 0.005 to 0.5 mol % relative to the manganese contained in the lithium manganate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu YURA, Nobuyuki KOBAYASHI, Tsutomu NANATAKI, Kazuyuki KAIGAWA
  • POSITIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE ELEMENT AND LITHIUM SECONDARY BATTERY USING THE SAME
    Publication number: 20110003205
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material comprising a large number of crystal grains composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure, wherein the large number of crystal grains contain primary particles of 3 to 20 ?m in particle diameter by 70 areal % or more relative to all the crystal grains, the primary particles contain a component having a rectangular plane, and the ratio of the total area of all the rectangular planes to the total surface area of the primary particles is 0.5 to 5%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu YURA, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Kazuyuki Kaigawa
  • POSITIVE ELECTRODE ACTIVE MATERIAL AND LITHIUM SECONDARY BATTERY
    Publication number: 20100330429
    Abstract: A positive electrode active material having an average from 1 ?m or lager to smaller than 5 ?m and containing a large number of crystal grains being composed of lithium manganate of spinel structure containing lithium and manganese as constituent elements, whose crystallite size is 500 to 1,500 nm in powder X-ray diffraction pattern, and whose value of a lattice strain (?) of 0.05×10?3 to 0.9×10?3 in powder X-ray diffraction pattern, and whose D50/DBET ratio is 1 to 4 wherein the D50 (?m) is the median diameter of the positive electrode active material and the DBET (?m) is calculated from the BET specific surface area by using the following general formula (1). DBET=6/(d×S)??(1) [Wherein d is the true density (g/cm3) of the positive electrode active material powder and S is BET specific surface area (m2/g) in the general formula (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu YURA, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki, Kazuyuki Kaigawa
  • Dielectric device
    Patent number: 7842398
    Abstract: The dielectric device includes a substrate, a lower electrode, a dielectric layer, and an upper electrode. The lower electrode is bonded onto the substrate. The dielectric layer is bonded onto the lower electrode. The dielectric layer is obtained through thermal treatment of a film layer formed by spraying of a powdery dielectric material and a fine-particulate metal. In the thus-formed film layer, the metal is dispersed in the matrix of the dielectric material. Thermal treatment of the film layer causes migration of the metal in the film layer. This metal migration causes a lower-electrode-adjacent portion and upper-surface-adjacent portion of the dielectric layer to have different metal contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Nobuyuki Kobayashi
  • Dielectric electron emitter comprising a polycrystalline substance
    Patent number: 7816847
    Abstract: A dielectric device of higher performance is provided. An electron emitter, to which the dielectric device is applied is provided with: an emitter including a dielectric; and an upper electrode and a lower electrode to which drive voltage is applied in order to emit electrons. The emitter is formed by the aerosol deposition method or the sol impregnation method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nanataki, Hirofumi Yamaguchi, Ritsu Tanaka
  • Method for producing crystallographically-oriented ceramic
    Patent number: 7799158
    Abstract: A method for producing a crystallographically-oriented ceramic includes the steps of forming a first sheet with a thickness of 10 ?m or less containing a first inorganic material in which grain growth occurs at a first temperature or higher and a second sheet containing a second inorganic material in which grain growth occurs at a second temperature higher than the first temperature, laminating one or more each of the first and second sheets to form a laminated body, firing the laminated body at a temperature equal to or higher than the first temperature and lower than the second temperature to cause grain growth in the first inorganic material, and then firing the laminated body at a temperature equal to or higher than the second temperature to cause grain growth in the second inorganic material in the direction of a crystal plane of the first inorganic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei Yokoyama, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Reactor
    Patent number: 7767357
    Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell has a stack structure in which sheet bodies and support members are stacked in alternating layers. A space through which a fuel gas or air flows is formed between the adjacent sheet body and support member. Partitions are provided on the support member in such a manner as to stand in the space, thereby forming a “first flow F1” of gas according to the flow control effected by the partitions. Gaps are formed at the projecting ends of the partitions, thereby forming a “second flow F2” of gas which flows over the partitions and through the gaps. The ratio “gap/space height” is set to 2% to 50% inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ohmori, Natsumi Shimogawa, Toshiyuki Nakamura, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • REACTOR AND PRODUCING METHOD OF THE SAME
    Publication number: 20100190066
    Abstract: The solid oxide fuel cell has a stack structure formed by stacking sheet bodies, each of which comprises three layers of the electrolyte layer, a fuel electrode layer, an air electrode layer, and separators in alternating layers. In an air channel defined between the air electrode and the separator facing the air electrode layer, a SUS mesh made of stainless steel for electrically connecting both of them is confined. On the surface of the SUS mesh, previously by itself before the assembly of the stack structure, an Ag-plating treatment is performed and further a vacuum heat-treatment (heat-treatment under a negative pressure) is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto OHMORI, Toshiyuki Nakamura, Masayuki Shinkai, Tsutomu Nanataki
  • Honeycomb-type piezoelectric/electrostrictive element
    Patent number: 7755254
    Abstract: A honeycomb-type piezoelectric/electrostrictive element includes a honeycomb structure section having a partition wall which partitions cells passing through the honeycomb structure section in an axial direction, and an electrode as an internal electrode disposed on an inner wall surface of the cell to internally cover the entire inner wall surface, wherein the partition wall is formed of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body, and the honeycomb structure section can be deformed by applying a voltage between the electrodes disposed in the cells adjacent through the partition wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Tsutomu Nanataki